The present invention relates to a portable and adjustable smoking tobacco product extinguisher/snuffer which is particularly adapted for use with various sized cigarettes.
Many cigarette and cigar extinguishers and snuffers exist as have been disclosed in various patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,120,027 describes a cigarette extinguisher with a plurality of flanges at the bottom of a hollow cylinder to receive and hold the lighted end of a cigarette. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,335,674 discloses a two piece cigarette holder where a cigarette is placed in one end of a barrel piece and a cap piece is then placed thereon to cover the unlit end. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,642 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,536,302 both disclose two piece cigarette extinguishers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,641 discloses a combination ash tray and snuffer comprised of a short closed end tube in which the lighted end of a cigarette is placed. A base is used to position the tube to receive the cigarette which is held in the snuffer by gravity. U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,961 discloses a three piece safety extinguisher with two compartments. The first compartment extinguishes the smoking material and the second compartment extinguishes matches.
The apparent limitations of these cigarette extinguishers and snuffers have been partly solved by U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,575, which is incorporated herein by reference. This patent discloses a one piece cigarette extinguisher which may be inserted into a cigarette pack or a pocket of the user. The cigarette extinguisher is comprised of a hollow cylinder having an open end for accepting a lit cigarette. A slidable keeper is mounted in the hollow cylinder such that when a cigarette contacts the keeper, a friction fit around the lit cigarette is effectuated.
Additionally, the keeper is able to slide deeper into the hollow cylinder, thereby protecting the unlit end from being damaged.
The present invention is drawn to an adjustable, one piece, light weight, and portable smoking tobacco extinguisher which can readily be inserted into a conventional pack of cigarettes or a pocket of a user. More specifically, an adjustable device for snuffing out smoking tobacco products of various diameters is disclosed comprised of a housing having a first open end, a second closed end, and a cavity formed therebetween; a slider within the cavity having an opening defined by an inner surface for accepting a burning end of a smoking tobacco product; and an adjustable retainer disposed within the opening wherein the retainer and the slider work in concert to snugly accept the burning end of the smoking tobacco product.
Additionally, an adjustable slider device for use with a smoking tobacco product snuffer is disclosed comprising a tube having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface defining an opening; and a retainer having an attachment end and an adjustable end wherein the attachment end is attached to the inner surface of the tube and proximal to the first end and wherein the adjustable end is not attached to the tube and extends toward the second end of the tube and away from the inner surface of the tube.